Water skis



D. FOURNIER June 14, 1960 WATER sKIs Filed Nov. 1, 19 7 IN VE N 7' OP DAM/E N F OUlPN/E R BY. au2% 97% ATTORNEYS time States Patent WATER SKIS Damien Fournier, 771 King George 'St., Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada Filed Nov. 1, 1957, Ser. No. 693,346

2 Claims. (Cl. 9-310) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in water skis which are characterized by several improved structural features and advantages which will enable the user to control or guide the skis with a minimum of effort and to also use the skis as a floating seat.

More specifically, one improvement consists of the provision of a pair of fins upon the rear end of each ski, the fins projecting downwardly and outwardly from the ski ends for the purpose of restraining the skis against rearward movement and also to enable the user to insensibly retain his balance when making a turn.

A further and useful improvement is to provide a light weight folding seat which can be conveniently carried by the user when walking upon the surface of the water, the legs of the seat being insertable by the user into sockets in the pair of skis whereby he may sit on the seat when engaged in any diversion, such as fishing; the seat retaining the skis from drifting relatively to each other.

Another useful improvement is to provide a pair of ski poles having pontoons upon their lower ends, sockets being provided in the forward ends of the skis for receiving the poles when they are not being used.

The foregoing and other improvements and advantages will become more readily apparent from the fol lowing description and accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one of the skis.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the pair of skis, the seat being mounted thereon, and

Fig. 3 is a rear end view of one of the skis.

As the two skis, making a pair, are of the same construction apart from the position of the sockets for receiving the seat legs, it is only necessary to describe the construction of one ski.

The ski comprises a shell of approximately runnershape and formed of light weight sheet material and wherein the top and side portions 2 and 3 are preferably made of aluminum and the bottom 4 of fiberglass. The shell comprises a forward compartment 5, a foot receiving well 6 and a rear compartment 7, the compartments 5 and 7 being filled with buoyant material such as kapok.

A foot rest plate 8 is swingably mounted within the lower forward portion of the well 6 so that it may swing under ankle movement of the user, the plate carrying a ski harness 9 into which the foot of the user is inserted.

Depending from the bottom 4 of the ski is a longitudinal series of wings 10, each wing being so hingedly mounted that it is free to swing rearwardly but retained from swinging forwardly from a perpendicular position.

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By this arrangement a forward stroke of one ski by the user swings the wings of that ski upwardly while the other ski is retained against rearward movement by its wings which are hanging downwardly.

To restrain the ski against undue rocking and to preserve the users balance when making a turn the rear end of the ski carries a pair of fins which project rearwardly and downwardly, the downwardly projecting portions 12 of the fins acting as keels to prevent rocking and the rearwardly projecting portions 13 forming with the back 14 of the ski a scoop-like arrangement which ofiers resistance to rearward movement of a stationary ski as the user glides the other ski forwardly. This resistance to rearward movement is due to the fact that the fins form a rearwardly extending pocket and when this pocket is filled with water the fins prevent sidewise displacement of the water and increase the water resistance to rearward motion of the ski. This is similar to attempting to move a cup through water with the mouth of the cup leading.

The portable seat for use in conjunction with a pair of skis consists of two pairs of legs 15 and between the upper ends of which a pair of cross-bars 15A extend and to which is attached a canvas seat 16. When the seat is put in use the pairs of legs 15 are inserted into pairs of socket members 17 and 18 in the corners of the foot wells of the skis. It will thus be seen in Fig. 2 that the seat cross bars 15A retain the skis from drifting relatively to each other and whereby a safe floating seat arrangement is provided for the user.

A pair of ski poles 19 having pontoons 20 upon their lower ends are provided, the points 21 of the poles being receivable within socket holes 22 in the upper faces in the forward ends of the skis when the holes are not in use.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A water ski comprising a float having a well amidships adapted to receive the foot of a user of the ski, a foot rest plate secured within the well for attachment to the foot of the user, wings connected to the bottom of the ski and hingedly connected therewith for resisting rearward movement of the ski through the water, and a pair of spaced apart fins projecting rearwardly and downwardly from the sides of the rear end of the float the rear end of said float and the rear ends of said fins being arranged to form a rearwardly facing pocket at the rearward end of the float to resist rearward movement of the ski through water.

2. A water ski comprising a float having a well admidships adapted to receive the foot of a user of the ski, a foot rest plate secured within the well for attachment to the foot of the user, wings connected to the bottom of the ski and hingedly connected therewith for resisting rearward movement of the ski through the water, and a pair of spaced apart fins in alignment with the sides of the float and projecting rear-wardly and downwardly from the sides of the rear end of the float forming a rearwardly facing pocket therebetween at the rear end of the float to resist rearward movement of the ski through the water.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 2,153,939 Schaupp Apr. 11, 1939 2,577,917 Root Dec. 11, 1951 2,716,246 Billingham Aug. 30, 1955 

